Minute Maid Park's most memorable: Dallas Keuchel goes unbeaten

Keuchel's Korner down the left-field line at Minute Maid Park was the place to be in 2015, with its namesake going 16-0 in 19 starts at home as the Astros made their first playoff appearance in a decade.

Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle

Ninth in a series

As the Astros play their 20th season at Minute Maid Park, we are counting down the 20 most memorable games and/or moments in the ballpark's two decades.

Today, we look back at No. 12: Dallas Keuchel capping an undefeated 2015 season at home.

En route to winning the American League Cy Young Award, Keuchel went a staggering 15-0 in 18 regular-season home starts.

“Fifteen wins on a season is remarkable. There aren’t that many guys in the league that get 15 wins. He got them all at home,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “I like that record. I like that it’s in his favor and how comfortable he is. There’s a ton of confidence in this city and in this clubhouse when he’s pitching at home.”

The Oct. 12, 2015, front page of the Houston Chronicle sports section after the Astros' 4-2 victory over the Royals in Game 3 of the American League Division Series at Minute Maid Park.

Photo: Houston Chronicle

Keuchel's undefeated run at home was capped with a victory against the Royals in Game 3 of the American League Division Series. That put the Astros within a win of their first playoff series triumph since making the 2005 World Series.

After beating the Yankees in the AL wild-card game in New York days earlier, Keuchel shackled the Royals' bats. He allowed one run in seven terrific innings and struck out seven. He ended his day by striking out Lorenzo Cain — representing the tying run — on his 124th pitch and walked off the mound to a thunderous ovation from the sellout crowd of 42,647.

Chris Carter had three hits, including a solo homer, to pace the Astros' offense.

He said it: “Hey, this (was) the biggest crowd we’ve had in a long time, and the fans were into it,” Astros owner Jim Crane said. “Nobody left their seat, and it was packed to the rafters.

“It’s really fun for the city to get back into baseball. And we’re having a lot of fun here.”

Greg Rajan is the senior editor for Texas Sports Nation, the Houston Chronicle's sports website and also curates the daily TXSN newsletter. He joined the Chronicle in January 2015 as the online sports editor. He previously worked as the sports editor at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. He led that sports section to three Associated Press Sports Editors top-10 national awards and his work has been honored by APSE and the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors. He also has worked at the Austin American-Statesman and Temple Daily Telegram.

He is a graduate of Southwest Texas State University and Bowie High School in Austin.